The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced a new mail delivery process for receiving the Alien Documentation, Identification and Telecommunication (ADIT) stamp, also known as an I-551 stamp. This process allows lawful permanent residents to receive temporary evidence of their status without physically visiting a USCIS field office.
Lawful permanent residents are entitled to evidence of their status and may require temporary evidence in the form of an ADIT stamp if they do not have their Green Card or if their Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Green Card), Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, or Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, is still pending adjudication and their Green Card and extension notice have expired.
To request temporary evidence of their status, lawful permanent residents can call the USCIS Contact Center and speak with an immigration services officer who will verify their identity, mailing address, and whether they can receive UPS or FedEx express mail. If an in-person appointment is not needed, the USCIS field office will review the request and mail the applicant a Form I-94 with ADIT stamp, DHS seal, and a printed photo of the lawful permanent resident obtained from USCIS systems. USCIS has the discretion to determine the validity period of the ADIT stamp based on the requestor's situation, not to exceed one year unless specified otherwise by regulation or policy.
It is important to note that some lawful permanent residents will still need to appear in person at a USCIS field office to receive temporary evidence of their status. This includes those with urgent needs, no usable photo in USCIS systems, or whose address or identity cannot be confirmed.
This new process allows USCIS to issue temporary evidence of lawful permanent resident status in a timely manner without requiring a scheduled appointment at the field office. It reduces the burden on applicants and increases the availability of field office resources.